FAQs • Snohomish County, WA • CivicEngage

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SPK-Centennial Trail Trivia

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1. What was the first railroad to build into Snohomish County and what is much of its right-of-way called today?: The Seattle, Lakeshore, and Eastern and the Centennial Trail

2. What year was the first Depot built on the Centennial Trail?: The Northern Pacific Depot in Snohomish, built in 1888, was the first along Centennial Trail and was open 24 hours a day until 1915, when the cutoff to Everett started service. The current Arlington and Machias Depots are replicas of their 1890’s originals.

3. What site did the railroad first arrive at on the Centennial Trail?: The railroad first arrived at the site now known as Nakashima Farm in 1889. This site, in the foothills of the North Cascade Moutains, transitioned over the years from undeveloped forest to lumber mill to dairy farm to public park.

4. What was the main industry for the Centennial Trail railroad?: The railroads reached Snohomish County in 1888 and drove the area’s cornerstone timber industry through the 1960’s. At one point, each day saw a steady stream of fully loaded rail cars, up to 80 per day—transporting logs to mills along the route that later became the Centennial Trail.

5. What are the main Tribal groups along the Centennial Trail?: Snohomish County is the ancestral home of four main tribal groups, the Snohomish, whose subgroups include the Skykomish and Pilchuck; the Snoqualmie; the Sauk and Suiattle River People; and the Stillaguamish.